The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and surrounding agencies have seen an alarming increase in scams mainly targeting older adults.
Since the start of 2025, scammers have stolen over $1,000,000 from residents through various scams, including jury summons and warrant scams, Failure to Appear scams, and fraudulent PayPal and social media scams.These scammers convince victims to call a 1-800 number to pay a fee to resolve a false issue. Victims may also be contacted by a spoofed number that appears to be a law enforcement agency or a legitimate business.
The scammers typically have the victim's name, date of birth, address, and more. They generally create a sense of urgency and fear in their victims, convincing them to take immediate action. They ask for payments via Bitcoin, ATM deposit, or cash or say they are sending a "courier" to pick up the money. They may also try to convince victims not to report the issue to law enforcement.
Law Enforcement Agencies and legitimate agencies will never call to:
- Request payment of fines, fees, or bail via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
- Threaten arrest or legal action for non-payment of fines or taxes.
- Demand personal or financial information, such as Social Security numbers, bank account details, or passwords.
- Ask for remote access to your computer or device.
- Pressure you to act immediately or keep the conversation a secret.
- Send law enforcement officers to collect payments in person.
If residents find themselves in a situation like this, they should:
- Hang up the phone immediately.
- Do not make any payments.
- Call your bank if you did pay a scammer.
- Report the scam to law enforcement.
- If unsure, call the agency directly using an official number from their website to verify.
Victims can also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
"These scammers are preying on our residents’ trust and using fear tactics to steal their hard-earned money. Let me be clear—we will not stand for this," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "We are aggressively investigating these cases, working with our partners to track down these criminals, and ensuring they are held accountable. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and report it immediately. We will not stand by while these fraudsters target our community."
Residents who believe they were the victim of a scam can contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200.